I bet you are wondering what great present I received! No, it’s not my birthday. It’s not Mother’s Day (yet!) This gift is life changing. No, it’s not a youth formula, or a shiny, new car! (Though both would be pretty amazing.)

If you want to know what makes me a generally happy person, this is it! If you want to know how I can sing despite all of the garbage in the world now, this is it! If you want to know how I can be satisfied even though I can barely pay my bills some months, this is it! If you want to know how I’m able to persevere through trial, this is it! If you want to know how I’ve been able to forgive the unforgivable, this is it! If you want to know what keeps me going, this is it! Only it is not an it – it is a He!

He wants to do the same for you! Surrender. He has given ALL of Himself to you. Will you give all of yourself to Him without holding back? I assure you that He can be trusted. No one cherishes you as He does. No one has your best interests at heart as The Sacred Heart Himself.

Changing gears for just a moment…

When we read this Sunday’s gospel, it is important to note the lines that come just before it:

52The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?” 53Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54Whoever eats* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.b58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6: 52-58)

Jesus asks, “Does this shock you?” There were some who just could not believe/accept what Jesus said. They left and returned to their former way of life. People are still rejecting this precious gift. Some still cannot accept that it is Jesus.

In many churches, the lack of belief that the Eucharist is precious – is JESUS- is evident. The demeanor, dress and behavior of many a minister and recipient screams disbelief, lukewarmness, or at worst utter disrespect! I don’t think they even realize it.

There are so many people – Catholics included – who do not believe that the Eucharist is Jesus’ body. Do you think that Jesus only gave His body to the 12 apostles? Were there only 12 that He came to nourish? 12 He came to save? Did He only want 12 to have eternal life? I don’t think so.

The Eucharist has been the best gift I have ever received or will ever receive while still on this earth. I know with all my heart that it is truly Jesus, because receiving Jesus and adoring Him in the Blessed Sacrament has been transformative – completely life changing – for me.

Through the Eucharist, Jesus gives me peace – that peace that He alone can give – the peace that NOTHING or NO ONE in this world can give. I know! I’ve tried that already! It’s a big, fat lie! The ONLY lasting peace and truth you will ever find is in the One who gave His life and His body for YOU!

The Catholic Church is currently undergoing the trial of trials. It has problems, for sure – big problems! I love my Church, however, because it is the only one that can give me Jesus in this precious and perfect gift, the Eucharist.

In my spare time, I like to read prophecy – from the bible, from popes, from saints and mystics whose messages have been Church approved. Sometimes, I even read the alleged messages of modern visionaries prayerfully. There seems to be a consensus that a time is coming when the Eucharist will not be readily available – that many will have to worship in secret. It is frightening, I know.

Let us treasure the Eucharist and receive Jesus as often as we can while we still can! Then, let us trust that the innumerable graces that we receive in this Blessed Sacrament will carry us through the times when it is not readily available.

Remember that Jesus will always be close to those who love Him – as close as your next breath – as intimate as your heart beat. Just as Jesus’ image was left indelibly on Veronica’s cloth, so the Eucharist leaves an imprint on the heart of the receiver – never to be effaced. Praise be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar!

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About danardoyle

I am a Catholic, working wife and mother. I have three children ages 10, 16 and 23. I am extremely busy, as you can imagine. I aim each and every day to put God first in my life, to teach my children the Faith, to be a supportive spouse, keep the house in order, and do my job outside of the home well, too. That's an impossible task - without Divine intervention! Here, I hope to share my triumphs and struggles with other working moms in the same boat. I will share the tools I have discovered to making it all work - most days!